Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-05-06
MALE AND FEMALE BRAIN.
What Dr.. william A.. Hammond lays Of
the Difference Brtwcen Them.

What Dr.. william A. Hammond lays Of
the Difference Brtween Them.
Many observations have shown that the
average male brain weighs a little over
forty-nlnc ounces, while the average
female brain is a little over forty-iour
ounces, or about five ounces less. The
proportion existing between the two is
therefore as 100 90. This apparently
makes a good showing for man. but when
we look at the matter in another, and
possibly u more correct light. the adyaIi-
tage is rather the other way; for relatively
to the weight OF the body IN the two sexes,
the difference, what there is, Is in favor OF
woman. The body of the female is shorter
and weighs less than that Of the male,
Thus, in man the weight Of brain 10 thai
Of the body has been found to he an
average Of I 30. 80, while in woman II Is
as | :3i. ~, n difference Of Oh In her favor.
Possibly this may be a more correct way
Of determining the size Of the brain than
by absolute measurements without regard
10 the size of the body. The doubt arises
from tho fact hat we do not know that
very thin persons, in whom of course,
other things being equal, the brain would
be relatively larger, are more remarkable
for mental vigor than are very stout ones,
in whom the relative size of the brain
would he less. Such being the case, IL Is
difficult o. believe that the propurtiOnate
size of the brain to the body has any i'm.
portant influence as a factor IN the pro
ductiOn ~ mind. IL is the absolute rather
than the relative amount Of gray matter
that is to be considered in determining
the brain power, IL must, however, he
borne in mind that the quantity Of gray
matter cannot always be positively af.
filmed from q determination of the size OF
the brain. though in general il can.
Again, the specific gravity Of the male
brain, both Of the white and the gray sub
stance. is greater in man than IL Is IN
woinan
Bearing in view these differences, il Is
impossible TO avoid the conclusion that
there must also be some points Of dissim.
ilarity in the minds of the two sexes. Not
necessarily that one OF superior TO the
other. hut that they are different. We
see the diyersities every day, Universities
of perception, Of emotion, of intellect, Of
will. In some respects the mind Of mar
excels; in others, that Of woman is su.
periOr. IL would be a bad state Of things
for mankind il the mind in the two pri'
mary divisions Of the human race were
the same. In barbarous nations the diff,
ference in size is less than il is with civil.
lied people, and as one consequence Of
this fact there IL not so great a difference
in the mental development. Thus among
the Australians and the negroes Of Africa,
the skulls Of men and women are much
more alike in size than they are in Euro.
peans. II would appear from this fact,
either the women for some cause or other
have not awaited themselves Of the advan.
tages Of civilization as factors in brain de.
velOpment 10 the same extent as ma has,
or that among savages there is not thai
di~ssimilarity in mental work that is founG
among civilized nations. and that hence
there Is not the same necessity for a diff
ference in brain development.
For IL naturally follows that in the nor
NAL skull there is a correspondence be
tween its size and that OF the organ con
tanned within IL. The work of a woman
is with them almost the same as that of O
man. Her mode Of life, her dress are moi
essentially different except in so far a.
lltl mlst We uliltItIt vi dcCbult vi ntl
sex. But with civilized nations there is 9
variety in modes Of thought, in likes anC
dislcSes and in other mental characters
tics; in occupation, in manner, in clothes
even in food, SO that the differentiation
between the sexes is far more distinctly
marked than il is with nations low in IN,
scaleof progress. Who can doubt thai
this is the direct result of differences moi
only in the brain, but in other parts Of tn,
nervous systems-Dr. William 4. Ham
mond in Popular Science Monthly.